Out of the 2,600 inmates announced to be given Presidential Amnesty by President Muhammadu Buhari, only 24 met the criteria and were pardoned in Cross River State.
The state which has six medium security Custodial Centres including Calabar, Ikom Obubra, Ogoja Obudu, and Adim with 1008 inmates either remanded or jailed for various degree of offence were expecting more to be given.
Cross River State Public Relations Officer, Effanga Etim, said the 24 inmates released by the State Command met the set conditions given by the Federal Government.
Etim said the State Command acted based on the directive of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Services and set conditions.
Some respondents in Calabar, however, advised the Federal Government not to politicise the good gesture of the President and allow criminal to return back to their hideouts.
The amnesty to the inmates was part of recommendations by the Presidential Committee for the Decongestion of the Correctional Centres set up by President Buhari and was announced recently by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.